Liquid heating and cooling apparatus



June 20, 1933. I H FELDMElER 1,914,494

LIQUID HEATING AND COODING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 20, 1933. FELDMElER 1,914,494

LIQUID HEATING AND COOLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2,0. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JWM/ffm Maf June 20, 1933. H. FELDMEIER 1,914,494

LIQUID HEATING AND COOLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WMM June 20, 1933. H, FELDMElER 1,914,494

LIQUID HEATING AND COOLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARVEY FELDMEIER OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHEBBY-BURBELL CORPORATION, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE LIQUID HEATING AND COOLING APPARATUS Application led October 80, 1931.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid heating and cooling apparatus of the vat type in which a body of liquid contained in a vat or tank is heated or cooled by a liquid or medium which is circulated in heat exchange relation with the body of liquid in the vat. The improvements are particularly desirable in apparatus for heating and cooling milk, as in the pasteurization thereof, and for the sake of clearness of description, the liquid to be heated or cooled will be hereinafter referred to as milk. This descriptive designation of the liquid to be treated as milk however, is not to be understood as limiting the invention to use. in connection with this articular liquid` Hereto ore, in these vat type milk heaters and coolers, the milk has been heated or cooled either by circulating the heating or cooling medium through a coil submerged in the milk, or by spraying or discharging the heating or cooling medium on the Walls of the vat so that ythe medium Hows in a film over the outer surfaces of the walls of the vat to cause an exchange of heat between the same and the body of milk inthe vat, the latter usually beingstirred gently so as to cause all portions of the body of milk to contactwith the walls of the vat or the coil over or through which the heating or cooling medium circulates.

One object of this invention is to produce an efficient and economical ap aratus in which liquids can be quickly heate or cooled; which comprises a vat in which the bod of liquid is heated or cooled by the combined action of the circulation of a medium through a coil submerged in the liquid in` the vat and the flowing of a medium over the outer surface of the walls of the vat; in which the parts of the apparatus are proportioned and relatively arranged so as to insure the maximum eiciency of the apparatus and enable the heating or cooling of the liquid in the minimum time; in Whlch the heat exchange coil and the stirring device for the liquid are arranged so as to be readily moved out of the vat into positions in which all of the parts, including the coil, stirring device and the interior surfaces of the vat, are accessible y thereof.

Serial No. 569,898.

for ready and thorough cleaning; and also to improve vat liquid heating and cooling apparatus in the other respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

' Two structurally different embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a liquid heating and cooling apparatus of simple construction suitable for apparatus of small size, showing the vat cover open.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus of different construction more suitable for larger sizes.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof showing the cover and coilin raised position for cleaning.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation partly in section of the same, showing the cover and coil in operative osition. t

Fig. 7 1s a plan Aview of4 the apparatus shown in Fig. 6.

Fi 1 to 3 illustrate a small apparatus of simple construction which is primarily intended for use on farms and in small dairy establishments for pasteurizing milk. First describing this construction, the device comprises a jacketed vat or tank having an inner lining or vat pro er 10 in which the milk is contained, a jac et 11 which surrounds or insulates the vat 10 with a s ace or spaces between the walls of the jac et and of the vat, perforated pipes 12 arranged for discharging or spraying a heating orcmling medium (hereinafter termed heat exchange medium) onto the exterior of the vat 10 in the space or spaces between the vat 'and jacket, and a coil 13 which is submerged in the milk in the vat and through which a heat exchange medium is also circulated. Preferably, the vat 10 is of elongated or long narrow shape having upright4 narrow en walls and long side walls extending upwardly from a transversely rounded-bottom, and

` transversely troughed shape, as desired.

Connections (not shown) are provided for vsupplying or circulating the heat exchange medium so that it is discharged from the spray pipes onto the vat and may be either discharged from the jacket after flowing over the surfaces of the vat or may be drawn from the bottom of the jacket and'after .being re- Aheated, returned to the spray pipes so that the heat exchange medium can be recirculated and used over and over again as customary in spray vat pasteurizers of this type. The device thus far described may be constructed as more fully shown and described in the Letters Patent Numbers 1,199,974 and 1,614,193, granted respectively October 3, 1916, and

i January 11, 1927, to Harvey Feldmeier.

15 represents a cover for the vat. This cover, which maybe made either in sections or in one piece, is hinged at its rear side to the upper portion of the rear wall of the vat jacket so that the cover is adapted to be raisedfrom the closed position shown in Fig. 2 to t'ne open position at the rear of the vat shown in Fig. 1.

The heat exchange coil 13 is preferably arranged vertically lengthwise within the vat, midway between the opposite long side walls of the vat and, as shown, comprises a bank,

or series of horizontal tubes 16, arranged vertically one above another and connected l at their ends by headers 17 and 18 for causing the heat exchange medium to circulate in succession through the sevenal tubes of the coil. The coil shown is provided at one end with an inlet or supply connection 19 which extends vertically at said end of the coil and is connected to one end of the lowermost tube 16, and the coil is provided at its opposite end with an outlet or discharge connection 2() which connects with one end of the uppermost tube 16 of the coil. The medium admitted to the inlet connection passes through the` same into the lowermost tube coil and aftertraversing the several tubes ofthe coil, discharges through -the con- I nection 20. The inlet and outlet connections are preferably provided with inverted U- shaped portions which extend over and strad-` Nsiipportinglthe coil in the vat. The outer legs of the Uportions 21 of these connections preferably extend downwardly between plings can be quickly and easily operated to disconnect the coil from the supply and discharge pipes, thus leaving the coil detached so that it can be lifted out of the vat for cleaning the coil and interior of the vat.

25 represents a stirring device for gentlyv stirring or moving the milkin the vat to lcause ,it to sweep over the surfaces of the coil and the walls of the vat to insure a thorough and uniform contact of all portions of the milk with these heat exchange surfaces. The stirrer shown is bifurcated, having two legs or blades 26 which straddle the coil and are connected at their up rends above the coil by a cross head or yo e which is secured to a rock shaft 27 which* extends out through a hole in the upper portion of the rear wall of the vat and is journalled in a suitable bearing 2 8 mounted on the upper rear portion of the jacket. The stirrer can be oscillated to stir the milk by any suitable mechanism, such as a rock arm 29 at the be disconnected from its supply and discharge pipes, when it will be free and. can be lifted out-of en gement with the guide studs22 on the en s of the vat and shifted forwardly infthe vat from beneath the uptumed stirrer, after which the coil can be lifted up out of the vat. The coil and stirrer are thus accessible for thorough cleaning and the coil and paddle, being both lifted up out of the vat, leavethe interior of th'evat unobstructed so that all of the interior surfaces of the lininglvith which the milk contacts can be easilI and thoroughly cleaned. As is well recognized, it is essential to thoroughly clean all partswith which the milk contacts after each batch of has been treated in the apparatus and the described construction permitting the removal of the stirring device and c'oil. fromthe vat, vpermits ready cleansing so that the device 'can be ke t in thoroughlyanitary condition with t e least labor-and trouble.

The milk can be introduced into the vat g an opening` in the opposite end of and adapted to CIV detachable coulpling with a in any approved way, either by a distributor, such as used in surface coolers, arranged to discharge the milk on the upper tube of the coil so that it will flow down over the surfaces of the coil, or by a supply ipe extending down into the vat so as to discharge the mllk ntly therein without objectionable agitation. The milk can be dischar ed from the vat after treatment through t e usual outlet 33.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 to 7, which is preferred for apparatus of larger capacity, the vat may be constructed substantially as before described, except that the vat is provided with a vertically movable cover to which the coil and the stirrer are connected and which serves as a vertically movable support for these parts. The coil 40 shown in these figures consists of a series of horizontal tubes arranged vertically one above another and having upwardly bent or extending end portions which are connected to headers 41 and 42 arranged beneath and supported by the cover 43. The coil is provided with suitable supply and dischar e connections. For instance, the coil may ge provided at one end with a supply pipe 44 extending out through an opening at one end of the cover 43 and connected by a quick supply pipe (not shown), and t e header at the o poslte end of the coil may be provided with a similar discharge connection extending out through the cover be similarly connected by a quick detachable coupling 45 with a discharge pipe 46.

The cover 43 is connected at its opposite ends to the vertically movable elements of suitable jacks or elevating devices, such for instance as screw jacks or hydraulically operated jacks or elevating devices of any suitable construction. In the construction shown in the drawings, the cover is secured at its ends to the upper ends of two screw shafts 50, which are adapted to turn in bearings 51 on the ends of the cover and have screw threaded engagement with internally screw threaded nuts or sleeves 52 stationarily se cured to the ends of the vat jacket so `that by turning these screws, the cover may be raised and lowered. For operating these screws, an operating shaft 53 is shown which extends lengthwise over the cover, being journalled in suitable bearing in gear housings 54 at the ends of the cover, and 'is connected by worm or other suitable said gear housings 54 with the screw shafts 50. The operating shaft is provided at one end with a crank wheel 55 or otherv means for rotating the same. shaft, the two screws atopposite ends of the vat are rotated simultaneously for raising and lowering the cover. Y i

represents paddles or stirring devices gearing in- By' turning this f which are arranged in a plurality of pairs with the two4 paddles of each pair straddling or disposed at opposite sides of the coil 40. The paddles at the rear side of the coil are connected at their upper ends to shafts 61 which are journalled in suitable bearings 62 on the cover at the rear side thereof, and the paddles at the front connected at their upper ends to rock shafts 63 which are journalled in suitable bearings 64 on the cover at the front side thereof. The two rock shafts 61 and 63 for each pair of paddles are provided at their outer ends with rock arms 64a which extend upwardly and are connected at their upper ends by a cross rod 65 extending transversely over the cover. These cross rods for the three pairs of paddles are preferably connected by links 66 and one of the cross rods 65, preferably the cross rod for the middle pair of paddles, is connected by a pitman or link 67 to a crank shaft 68 which is journaled in a housing 69 mounted on top of the cover and which incloses reducing gearing of any suitable construction connecting the crank shaft to a driving motor 70 also mounted on top of the cover. Thus, the paddles or stirring devices and their operatin mechanism are all mounted on and carried by the cover so that when the cover is raised, theY paddles will be raised therewith and lifted out of the vat to exposed elevated position above the vat, as shown in Fig. 5. In lthis raised position of the cover, the paddles and also the coil 40 will be supported by the jacks or elevating mechanism out of and above thel vat. All parts of the coil and stirring mechanism are then readily accessible for cleaning and leave the interior of the vat also entirely unobstructed so that this also can be easily and thoroughly cleaned.

Each of the differently constructed devices described is equipped both with a heat exchange coil submerged in the milk and with means for spraying or flowing a heat exchange medium externally \over the vat. The use of the combined coil and externally flowing medium ap roximately cuts in two both the heating an cooling time. In ordinary operation, the coil may be necessary only for cooling, as the heating time is generally short enough with the external s ray alone. Cooling is always the more di cult operation, and, for this purpose. both the external spray and the coil would be used. To cool in the minimum time, brine or ice water could be used in both the external spray and in the coil. Good elliciency and economy can be obtained by using brine or ice water in the coil, and spring, well or city water in the external spray, shutting olf the latter water when the milk that of the water. Where it is desired to economize in brine or ice water, alone can be used until the milk is within a side of the coil are temperature falls to the spray lao `few degrees of the water temperature, and then turn oil the water being used in the spray, and turn on the brine or ice water. Thus the combination of the coil and external spray affords various different possible operations of the apparatus.

The long narrow vat gives great eiliciency because this not only increases the ratio of lining surface to volume, but, also increases the ratio of coil surface to volume. The paddles straddlin or disposed at opposite sides of the coil e ectively chase or sweep the milk over the surfaces of both the coil and the vat lining.

I claim:

1. The combination of a vat adapted to hold a body of liquid, a jacket for said vat having walls spaced from adjacent walls of the vat, means for flowing a heat exchange medium over the outer surface of said vat, a coil movably supported within said vat and having connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil, a stirrer within said vat between said coil and a wall of the vat, and means for actuating said stirrer to move the liquid in the vat, said coil and said stirrer being movable to exposed positions out of said vat to render them and the inner surfaces of the vat accessible for cleaning.

2. The combination of a horizontally narrow, elongated vat adapted to hold a bod of liquid, a jacket for said vat having wal s spaced from adjacent walls of said vat, means for discharging a heat exchange medium externally onto and causing it to flow as a film over the long side walls of said vat inside of said jacket, and an upright stationary coil arranged lengthwise in said vat between and substantially parallel with the opposite long sides of the vat and having connections for independently circulating another heat exchange medium throu h said coil, circulating connections for the coil being arranged above the highest level of the li uid in the vat.

3. The combination o a narrow, elon-` gated vat adapted to hold a body of liquid, a jacket for said vat having walls spaced from adjacent walls of said vat, means for discharging a heat exchange medium externally on to and causing it to flow as a film over said vat inside of said jacket, an upright coil arranged lengthwise in said vat between the opposite long sides of the vat and having connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil, and means for moving the liquid in the vat comprising stirrer blades disposed in the vat between the opite sides of said coil and the opposin g walls of the vat, said stirrer blades and sai coil being movable from their positions with inthe vat to exposed positions out of the vat.

4. The combination of a' narrow,l elongated vat adapted to hold a body of li' uid,*a jacket for sai vat having w'alls spa from adjacent walls of said vat, means for flowing a heat exchange medium externally over sai vat inside of said jacket, an upright coil arranged lengthwise 1n said vat between the opposite long sides of the vat and having connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil, a stirring device for the liquid in the vat comprising stirrer blades depending into the vat at opposite sides of said coil, and actuating means for said stirring blades -connected5 to the upper ends thereof, said stirring device and said coil being movable from their positions in the vat to exposed positions out of the vat.

5. The combination of a vat adapted to hold a body of liquid, a jacket for the vat having walls spaced from adjacent walls of the vat, a movable top cover for the vat, an upright coil movably supported Within said vatand having connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil, a stirring device comprising blades depending into said vat at opposite sides of said coil, and actuating means for said stirring blades connected to the upper ends thereof, said cover being movable to open the vat at its top, said coil and stirring device being movable from their positions within the vat to exposed positions above the open top of the vat when said cover is opened.

6. The combination of a vat ada ted to contain a body of liquid, a jacket or said vat having walls s aced from adjacent walls of the vat, a movable top cover for said vat, means for flowing a heat exchange liquid externally on said vat inside of said jacket, an upright coil movably sup rted within said vat, swinging stirrer bla es pivotally supported at their upper ends and depending into said vat at o posite sides of said coil, and means for osci lating said swinging stirrer blades, said cover being movable to open the vat at its top, and said stirrerblades and coil being movable from their positions within the vat to exposed positions above the open top of the vat when said cover is opened.

7. The combination of a vat adapted to contain a body of liquid, a top cover for said vat movable upwardly from its vat-closing ition, a coil depending from said cover into said vat and having connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil, said cover when raised acting to raise said coil out of said vat to an exposed position above the vat, and a stirrer for the liquid mounted on said cover and adapted to be raised out of the vat when the cover is raised.

8. TheV combination of a vat adapted to contain a body of li uid, a top cover for said vat movable u war ly from its vat-closing position, a coi depending from said cover into said vat and having connections for ciri culatin a heat exchange medium throu h` pendin from said cover into the vat, an d means or raising said cover to lift said coll and stirrin device out of said vat to exposed positions a ove the vat.

9. The combination of a vat ada ted to contain a body of liquid, a top cover or said vat movable upwardly from its vat-closing position, a coil depending from said cover into said vat and having connections for circulating a heat exchange mediumv throu h said coil, means for raising said cover to l1ft said coil out of the vat to an exposed position above the vat, a stirrer for the liquid mounted on said cover and adapted to be raised out of the vat when the cover is raised, and actuating means for said stirrer mounted on said cover.

10. The combination of a vat ada ted to contain a body of li uid, a top cover or said vat movable upwardly from its vat closing position, an upright coil depending from said cover into said vat and having connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil, stirring devices for the liquid depending from said cover into said vat at opposite sides of said coil, and means for raising said cover to lift said coil and stirring devices out ofthe vat to accessible positions above the open top of the vat.

11. The combination of a vat ada ted to contain a body of liquid, a top cover or said vat movable upwardly from its vat closing position, an upright coil depending from said cover into said vat and having connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil, stirring devices pivoted on said cover anddepending into said vat at opposite sides of said coil, mechanism mounted on said cover for oscillating said stirring devices, and means for raisin said cover to lift said coil and stirring devices out of the vatto accessible positions above the open top of the vat.

12. The combination of a vat adapted to contain a body of liquid, a jacket for said vat having walls spaced from adjacent walls of the vat, a movable top cover for said vat, means for flowing a heat exchange liquid externally on said vat inside of sa1d 'acket, an upright coil movably supported wlthin said vat and having fluid connections extending from the coil over the top of the vat and including quick detachable cou lings for disconnectin the coil from in et and outlet pipes, an stirrin members dependin into the vat beside sai members being movable from their ositions in the vat to accessible positions a ve the open to of the vat when said cover is opened.

13. he combination of a vat ada ted to contain a bod of liquid, a jacket or said vat having wa s spaced from adjacent walls of the vat, a movable top cover for said vat, means for flowing a heat exchan e liquid externally on said vat inside of sai jacket,

coil, said coil and stlrring' an upright coil movably supported within said vat and having fluid connections extending from the coiL over the top of the vat and removabl supporting the coil said connections inc uding quick detachable couplings for disconnecting the coil from inlet and outlet pipes, and stirring members depending into the vat beside said coil, said coil an stirring members being movable from their positions in the vat to accessible positions above the open top of the vat when said cover is opened.

14. The combination of a horizontally narrow, elongated jacketed vat adapted to hold a body of liquid, means for dischargin a heat exchange medium externally on to an causing it to flow as a film over` said vat'inside of the jacket, and a normally stationary but movably' mounted upright coil arranged lengthwise in said vat between and substantially parallel with the opposite long sides of the vat and having connections for circux lating a heat exchange medium through said coil, said circulating connections for the coil being arranged above the highest level of the liquid in the vat and constructed to enable ready shifting of the coil intact as a unit from its position in the vat to an exposed position to facilitate cleaning the coil and vat.

15. The combination of a narrow, elongated vat adapted to hold a body of liquid, a jacket for said vat, a movable cover for the vat, means for discharging ra heat exchange medium externally on to and causing it to flow as films over the opposite long side walls of said vat inside of said jacket, a coil arranged lengthwise in said vat between and substantiall parallel with the opposite long side walls o the vat, said coil being supporte by said cover and being shifted to accessible cleaning position by the raising of the cover, and connections for circulating a heat exchange medium through said coil.

HARVEY FELDMEIER. 

